Bolster.



No. 64038. Patented Jan. 2, I900. R. W. USWALD.

BDLSTER.

(Application filed. Apr 15. 1899.) (No Model.)

& WITNESSES INVENTOFI lEdaZaraZ 7V 06 as co. woroumou wuumm'cu lllrviirhn S'rn'rns RICHARD TV. OSWALD, OF BLOOMSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDlVARD B. TUSTIN, OF SAME PLACE.

BOLSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,313, dated January 2, 1900.

Application filed April 15, 1899. berial No. 713,150. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD W. OswALn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomsburg, in the county of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bolsters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in bolsters; and it consists in a bolster comprisinga body portion formed ofa channel-shaped plate, the ends of the bottom portion of the said platehaving their centralparis displaced, so that the side portions of the bottom may be bent upwardly and brought together atthe ends of the bolster to produce the proper taper of the same.

It also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of a blank or plate from which my improved bolster is formed. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of a bolster constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 3 represents an end elevation of a bolster formed in a slightly-different manner, and Fig. 4: represents a still different manner of forming the said bolster.

My improved bolster may be used either as a truck-bolster or as a body-bolster. In the drawings I have illustrated the same as adapted for use upon a truck.

In carrying; out my invention I preferably form the bolster 1 by bending the same from a blank or single piece of metal, such as 2, as shown in Fig. l. The blank has a portion of its material cut out, folded, corrugated, or otherwise displaced and is bent so as to form a channel-beam, the sides 3 3 and the bottom 4; being integral.

The bolster is preferably constructed with its greatest depth at the center and tapers upwardly toward its ends.

By using a blank as above described it is not necessary to form the bolster by means of drawing or pressing the metal, and the displaced or cut-out end portions form free ends, which may be bent so as to have their edges brought together, as at 5, (seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings,) thus producing the desired tapered effect of the bolsters.

The outer ends of the bolster are preferably formed with their lower surfaces horizontal and may be provided with the usual means for securing the bolster to the sides of the cartruck. It will be noted that by this construction the metal composing the sides of the bolster is undisturbed either by drawing or pressing, which operations often make the metal thinner in some parts than in others, and therefore weakens it. The metal manipulated in accordance with my invention may be bent or folded while cold, if desired, or with a slight heating. This prevents theliability of harming the strength of the metal by overheating. Instead of cutting out the ends they may be simply split and the split portions partially lapped overone another, as at 6, (shown in Fig. 3,) thus producing the proper taper on the bottom of the bolster. As seen in Fig. 4, this same object may be ac complished by bending or corrugating the ends of the bolster, as at 7 in Fig. 4, all with in the spirit of myinvention.

\Vhile 1 have illustrated and described a bolster suitable for a car-truck, yet it will be apparent that a body-bolster for cars may be constructed in the same manner.

It will thus be seen that I am enabled to produce a bolster in a simple and inexpensive manner, and yet one which will be strong and Well braced in the desired directions. The side portions of bolsters thus formed will be made of metal, which is not weakened by manipulation.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A bolster comprising a body portion formed of a channel-shaped plate having its bottom out at the ends and bent so as to be beveled upwardly underneath, substantially as described.

2. A bolster formed of plate metal bent to produce a channel-beam, the bottom of the said beam or plate being cut at the ends, the cut edges thus form ed being brought together Ice to produce the proper taper of the bolster, the construction being such that the metal in the sides of the bolster is undisturbed and therefore not Weakened,substantially as described.

3. A bolster comprising a body portion formed'of a channel-shaped plate, the bottom of the said bolster being out at the ends and bent so as to be beveled upwardly, the cut bent ends being arranged with their edges together, substantially as described.

4. A bolster comprising a body portion formed of a channel-shaped plate, the ends of the bottom portion of the said plate having their central parts displaced so that the side portions of the bottom may be bent upwardly and brought together at the ends of the bolster to produce the proper taper of the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' RICHARD \V. OSWALD. Witnesses:

S. F. PEAOOCK, R. L. ORANGE. 

